Steam and dampening iron



April 28, 1964 A. c. HOECKER STEAM AND DAMPENING IRON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1957 INVENTOR.

in a @MC/loww APril 23, 1964 A. c; HO-ECKER 3,130,507 STEAM AND DAMPENING IRON Filed June 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 4.

FIG.5.

INVENTOR.

awn/1; 6. MW.

United States Patent 3,130,507 STEAM AND DAMPENING IRQN Albert C. Hoecker, 5305 Lindenwood Place, St. Louis, Mo Filed June 28, 1957, Ser. No. 668,761 8 Claims. (Cl. 38-77) This invention relates generally to atomizing and steaming pressing irons and more particularly to the flash boiler type of irons.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a steam boiler having a very minute discharge outlet including means for discharging water nto the boi er under pressure so the heat Within the boiler will effect atomization of the water when discharged through said minute discharge outlet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steam iron having an atomizing discharge outlet communicating with means through which a predetermined quantity of water is discharged and means for heating the water to generate steam including means for forcing water into said first mentioned means to generate sufficient steam pressure within said first mentioned means to effect atom ization of the water discharged through said atomizing discharge outlet.

A further object of the invention is to provide a steam iron having two boilers, one boiler having a restricted discharge outlet to develop suificient steam pressure in the boiler when the boiler is heated and a predetermined quantity of water injected into the boiler to eifect atomization of the water discharged through said discharge outlet for dampening the material being ironed with atomized Water. In the other boiler only steam is directed to the material being ironed when water is injected into the boiler.

A further object of the invention is to provide a steam iron with an electric cord and flexible water supply tube for conducting the electricity and water to the material to be ironed, the wires of the electric cord being formed or embodied in the walls of the tube so to provide a small unitary and convenient structure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a steam iron with means communicating with a flash boiler and extending a distance above the material being ironed so that when the iron is heated and a predetermined quantity of water injected into the boiler the water will be atomized and discharged through said means and evenly distributed over the material being ironed.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a steam iron having a sole plate with heating means, means communicating with said sole plate and a water reservoir for conducting water to a steam generator on said sole plate, and means adapted to be quickly attached and detached to said water reservoir for filling the reservoir with water or for pumping air therein to force the Water into the steam generator.

Other and further objects will appear in the specification and be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings exemplifying the invention and in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal medial sectional view or" the iron.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional View of a tapered plug.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the plug shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the sole plate or" the iron.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the iron generally. The iron includes a sole plate 2 having a heating element 3 embedded therein. This structure is of conventional nature well known in ice the art, and since it forms no particular part of the invention, it will not be described in detail at this time.

Two steam generators designated 4 and 5 are located in the sole plate 2 and are enclosed by a cover plate 7, the plate being secured to the sole plate 2 by screws 6. The lower part of a valve casing 8 is secured in the cover plate 7 in any suitable manner.

The valve casing 8 extends upwardly in the handle 9 and is provided with a stuffing box 10 at its upper end and extending within the casing 8 and through said stufling box is a valve stem 131 having a valve at its lower end for closing the opening in the lower end of the casing. The valve stem 11 also extends through an expansion spring 12 and engages a collar 13 which is secured to the stem 11. The spring 12. also engages the stuffing box 149 for holding the valve in closed position. The upper end of the valve stem is provided with a button 14 which extends through the handle 9 for manipulating the valve. Obviously when the button is depressed the valve will be opened for admitting water into the steam generator 4.

A pipe 15 communicates with the valve casing 8 adjacent the lower end thereof and extends around the Water container 16 to the rear end of the iron. The rear end of the pipe 15 is provided with a valve casing 17 having a tapered opening in the lower end thereof for the reception of a correspondingly tapered part of a valve stem 18. The valve stem 18 extends through a stufling box at the upper end of the valve casing 17 and is provided with a button 19 secured thereto for manipulating the valve stem 13. The valve casing 17' is provided with screw threads adjacent its upper end which cooperate with screw threads on the valve stem 18 so that when the valve stem is rotated the tapered part of the valve stem will open and close the tapered opening at the lower end of the valve casing 17. A metal tube 20 is secured to the valve casing 17 just above the tapered opening in the valve casing 17 and communicates with the pipe 15 and the portion of the tube extending beyond the valve casing 17 is adapted to receive one end of a flexible rubber tubing. This tubing must be flexible and of desired length and at its opposite end is provided with a special fitting 21 adapted to be connected to a source of water supply under pressure as shown.

This flexible tubing 22 will be later more fully described.

Adjacent the forward end of the sole plate 2 and communicating with the high pressure steam generator 4 is a very small water atomizing outlet 23. This small outlet 23 extends through the underside of the sole plate 2 for the discharge of atomized water to the material to be dampened. The steam generator 4 communicates with the valve in the valve casing 3, the valve stem 11 extends through the stufling box and through the spring 12 up in the handle 9 and the upper end of the stem is provided with a push button 1 for manipulating the valve, a spring 12 engages the collar 13 and the stufiing box, the spring is an expansion spring for holding the valve in closed position. A pipe communicates with the valve casing 8 and extends to the rear of the iron and communicates with the valve casing 17 and flexible tubing 22 and Water connection 11 for conducting water from a source of water supply to the valve casing 8 and to the steam generator 4. The generator is heated by the heating element 3, obviously, if too much water is injected into the generator 4, the generator will be chilled and only water will be discharged through the atomizing outlet 23, therefore, the button 19 on the valve stem 18 at the rear of the iron must be adjusted so that only suflicient water will enter the pipe 15 and valve casing d and be discharged into the generator 4, when the push button 14 is depressed. With the heating element 3 adapted to furnish suflicient heat for heating the generator 4 and the proper quantity of 2 :3 waterinjected into the generator, the water will be converted to a mixture of steam and water, and be discharged through the restricted outlet 23 to the material to be ironed. Note that there is water in the generator only when the button 14 is depressed for spraying the material to be ironed. From the foregoing, it is obvious that in order to dampen the material to be ironed, it is only necessary to depress the button 14. It will be noted however that with the atom ling outlet 23 discharging the atomized water through the pressin surface of the sole plate 2 it will be necessary to lift the iron off the material being dampened so that atomized water can scatter and be evenly distributed over the material. In order to prevent the necessity of lifting the iron off the material to dampen the material a tubular member 24 has one end communicating with the interior of the high pressure steam generator 4 and the other end (atomizing discharge outlet 25) extending above the material to be dampened. Gbviously, with the atomizing outlet extending above the material and directed to the material it will only be necessary to depress the button 14 which will admit a predetermined quantity of water into the generator 4 and in view of the great heat of the generator 4 the water will be converted to a mixture of steam and water in the steam generator 4 causing the mixture of steam and water to be discharged through said atomized outlet. Of course, it is the heating element 3 that heats the walls of the steam generator.

To operate the iron as an atomizing iron the special fitting 21 on the flexible tubing 22 is connected to a source of water supply, it being understood that the Water is under pressure.

For heating the iron and steam generator 4, the lead wires 26 of a conductor 27 are connected to the electric heating element 3, and the plug 23 at the other end of the conductor is connected to a source of electric supply. With the electricity and water supply connected to the iron, and if the operator of the iron desires utilizing the iron as an atomizing iron, the operator of the iron rotates the button 19 which is attached to the valve stem 14 to the left, and due to the cooperation of the screw threads on the valve stem 18 and screw threads in the valve casing, the tapered part of the valve stem will be lifted out of the tapered opening in the lower end of the valve casing, admitting the desired quantity of water into the pipe 15. From the pipe the water enters the valve casing 8 at its lower end just above the valve. With the thick walls of the steam generator 4 heated and water in the valve casing 8, it is only necessary that the operator of the iron depress the button 14 to dampen the clothing. With the button 14 depressed water from the valve casing will be injected into the steam generator 4 and quickly converted to atomized water as previously described.

Now it is well known that steam will not remove wrinkles from clothing. In order to remove wrinkles from clothing in a satisfactory manner, it is necessary to spray the clothing with atomized water and then dry iron the clothing. It must be realized, however, that simply spraying or sprinkling clothing with water is not satisfactory. Too much water and the iron will not dry the clothing, not enough water and the clothing will be rough in spots, streaked and generally unevenly ironed.

There are many, many flash boiler steam irons that have boilers in which water is dropped and quickly converted to steam; however, dropping water into the hot boiler will not furnish sufficient steam, due to the fact that the steam in the steam chambers will only admit a very small quantity of water into the dash boiler. To overcome this objection, various devices have been invented in which water pressure is utilized to force the water into the steaming device; however, these devices are adapted for steaming the clothing and have several steam outlets or one large outlet. Obviously, these outlets will not cause sufiicient steam pressure to develop in the steaming device atomization of the water.

In order to provide special means for conducting water to the steam generators 4 and 5, in the event thereis no hydrant or other source of water supply to connect the iron, the iron is provided with a water container 16 having tubular member 29 secured approximately in the center thereof by'welding, brazing or otherwise, so there will be no leakage of Water or air around the tube. A housing or shell 31 having an operating handle 9 secured thereto with screws 32 mounted over the container 16 and is secured to the sole plate 2 with a bolt 33 which extends through the tubular member 29. The bottom wall at the forward end of the container 16- is provided with a bushing 34 which is brazed or-otherwise secured therein. The lower end of the bushing 34 extends a dis tance beyond the container 16 and is tapered to fit in a tapered opening in the cover plate 7 of the steam generator 5, for admitting water from the container into the steam generator. There are five steam outlets 35'extending through the sole plate communicating with the steam generator 5 for distributing the steam from the generator 5 to the material to be steamed. For admitting water from the water container 16 into the steam generator 5, the bushing 34 is provided with a tapered opening 36 for the reception of a correspondingly tapered end of a valve stem 37 for controlling the water passing through the opening 36. The valve stem 37 extends up through a bushing 38 and through a stulling box on the bushing, the upper end of the stem 37 extending up in the handle 9 provided with a button 39 secured thereto for operating the valve stem. The bushing 38 is secured in the upper wall of the water container 16 by brazing, welding or otherwise and in the bushing '38 is a screwthread which cooperates with screw-threads on the valve stem for opening and closing the opening in the bushing 34. In other words, for admitting the desired quantity of water from the water container 16 into the steam generator 5 the operator of the iron rotates the button 39 to the right or left.

To fill the water container 16 with water, a valve casing 46 is welded, brazed or otherwise secured in the upper wall of the container 16 at the rear of the iron. The upper portion 41 of the casing 40 is internally tapered for the reception of a tapered connection 42' which is attached to a pump 43, to provide a quick connection between the pump 43 and the valve casing 46. The lowerportion of the casing has a slightly smaller opening, so as to provide a valve seat for the ball valve 44. Adjacent the lower end of the valve casing 4t} and in the inner wall thereof is a groove 45 for the reception of a split ring 46. A spring 47 engages the ball valve 44- and the split ring 46 for holding the ball in seated position.

To fill the water container 16 with water, the pump 43 with its tapered connection 42 is withdrawn from the tapered opening in the valve casing 40, the pump 43 or bulb is then depressed and the tapered part 42 of the pump 43 placed in a water supply, and the bulb or pump is released thereby filling the pump with water. The tapered connection 42. is then inserted in the tapered opening in the valve casing 40, to provide a connection between the pump 43 and the water container 16. The bulb or pump 43 is then compressed forcing the water into the container 16. The operation can be repeated 7 as often as necessary. Air may also be pumped into the container 16, by admitting air into the bulb or pump 43 and compressing the bulb. An air intake valve may be placed in the bulb at the top thereof. Such valves are well known in rubber bulbs; therefore it is believed not necessary to describe the operation thereof.

The lower part 42 of the tapered part 42 is reduced so it will enter the opening above the ball valve 44 and force the valve oif its seat, when the pump 43 is forced downwardly thereby making it easier to force the water past the ball valve. The part 42 is provided with a slot 42" at its lower end, so the water can pass around the ball valve, when the container 16 is being filled with water.

FIG. 5 shows a device having a tapered plug 41" to be inserted in the tapered opening in the upper portion 41 of the casing 40, after the pump 43 is removed, to prevent leakage of any water that may escape around the ball valve 44.

A pipe'48 communicates with the water pipe and the water container 16 for admitting water from the pipe 15 into the water container 16. It will be noted that the water from the pipe l5 enters the container 16 at the top thereof. Note also that water enters the valve casing 8 through a pipe 49 which communicates with the pipe 15 and Water container 16.

From the foregoing it will be noted that water can be injected into the high pressure steam generator 4 from an independent source of water supply or from the water container 16 which is part of the iron structure.

Water can also be admitted into the low pressure steam generator 5 from the same source of water supply.

As previously stated, if the button 14 is depressed, water will be admitted into the high pressure steam generator 4- and since the generator has a very small atomizing discharge outlet great pressure will be generated at the outlet, causing a very fine spray of atomized water to be discharged through the small atomizing outlet for dampening the material to be ironed.

To operate the iron as a steam iron, Water is admitted into the low pressure steam generator 5 by rotating the button 39 to the right or left. If the tapered opening 36 in the bushing 34 is closed by the tapered part of the valve stem 37 and the operator of the iron desires to steam the material to be ironed it is only necessary to rotate the button to the left and water will enter the steam generator and be converted to steam, the steam being conducted to the material to be ironed through the outlets 35 in the sole plate 2. It will be noted, however, that only steam will be discharged through the five outlets 35, due to the fact that with the five outlets 35 there will not be suificient steam pressure generated to effect atomization of water.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have not only invented a steam iron for steaming clothing, but also, an atomizing iron that will spray the clothing with water, and thereby make it possible to remove wrinkles from any clothing.

Various modifications may be made in this invention without departing fiom the spirit thereof, and therefore the exact forms shown are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense, and it is desired that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as necessitated in the prior art.

What I claim is:

1. A dampening and pressing iron comprising a sole plate, a flash steam generator forming a part of said sole plate, means for heating said generator and for heating said sole plate, means formed in said generator for the reception of a predetermined quantity of water to be injected therein for spraying the material to be ironed with water, means for forcing water into said generator, a spray device communicating with said generator for directing a spray of water to the material to be ironed, said spray device being sufliciently restricted to retain suflicient pressure in said generator to efiect atomization of the Water discharged through said spray device.

2. A dampening and pressing iron comprising a flash steam generator formed in a sole plate, means for heating said generator and sole plate, means for forcing water into said generator, a spray discharge outlet communicating With said generator for directing a spray of atomized water to the material to be ironed, said discharge outlet being restricted to retain sufiEicient pressure in said generator to effect atomization of the water discharged through said discharge outlet, a second steam generator formed in said first mentioned sole plate and having steam outlets through said sole plate for conducting steam to the material to be ironed, a water container above said sole plate and secured thereto, a valve communicating with said container and an opening in said second generator for admitting water from said container into said second generator and for controlling the water entering said second generator, one of said generators having an atomizing discharge outlet for directing a spray of water which is mixed with steam generated in the steam generator to the material to be ironed, the second generator being adapted to conduct steam to the material to be ironed.

3. A dampening and pressing iron comprising a sole plate having a cavity formed therein for the reception of water which is converted to a mixture of steam and water when said sole plate is heated and water injected into said cavity, means for injecting water into said cavity, means for heating said sole plate, a spray discharge outlet in said sole plate communicating with said cavity and directed to the material to be ironed for spraying the material with atomized water, said discharge outlet being restricted to develop sufficient pressure within said cavity to etfect atomization of the water discharged through said discharge outlet.

4. The combination of claim 3 including a conduit communicating with said cavity, said conduit being restricted to develop sufiicient pressure in said cavity to effect atomization of the water discharged through said conduit, said conduit extending above said sole plate so the water discharged therefrom can scatter over the material to be ironed.

5. A dampening and pressing iron comprising a sole plate, a high pressure steam generator in said sole plate, an atomizing discharge outlet communicating with said steam generator and directed to the material to be ironed for spraying the material with atomized water, means for heating said steam generator and said sole plate, means for forcing the water into said steam generator, said outlet being restricted so as to retain sufiicient pressure in said steam generator to effect atomization of the water discharged through said outlet.

6. The combination of claim 5 including a water container mounted on said sole plate and spaced from said sole plate, a second steam generator in said sole plate, steam outlets communicating with said second steam generator and extending through said sole plate for conducting steam from said second steam generator to the material to be ironed, means communicating with said container and said second steam generator for admitting water from said container into said second steam generator, means for controlling the water entering said second steam generator, and means for pumping air into said container to force the water into said second steam generator.

7. A dampening and pressing iron comprising a slot plate, a high pressure steam generator, means for heating said high pressure steam generator and sole plate, a spray discharge outlet communicating with said high pressure steam generator and directed to the material to be ironed for spraying the material with atomized water when a predetermined quantity of water is injected into the high pressure steam generator, said discharge outlet being sufliciently restricted to cause the predetermined quantity of water when injected into the high pressure steam generator to be atomized and discharged onto the material to be ironed in a cloud of atomized water.

8. The combination of claim 7 including a second or independent steam generator, a water container secured to said sole plate, said heating means heating said second steam generator, means communicating with said second steam generator and water container through which water is admitted into said second steam generator drop by drop to generate steam in said second steam generator, steam outlets communicating with said second steam generator for conducting steam to the material to be ironed, and

means for forcing the Water out of said water container into said second steam generator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Kolodie May 1, 1951- Finlayson Sept. 2, 1952 Maykemper Apr. 6, 1954 Hoecker July 26, 1955 Hoecker Aug. 30, 1955 Maykernper Jan. 10, 1956 Hoecker Aug. 13, 1957 Kistner Mar. 4, 1958 

1. A DAMPENING AND PRESSING IRON COMPRISING A SOLE PLATE, A FLASH STEAM GENERATOR FORMING A PART OF SAID SOLE PLATE, MEANS FOR HEATING SAID GENERATOR AND FOR HEATING SAID SOLE PLATE, MEANS FORMED IN SAID GENERATOR FOR THE RECEPTION OF A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF WATER TO BE INJECTED THEREIN FOR SPRAYING THE MATERIAL TO BE IRONED WITH WATER, MEANS FOR FORCING WATER INTO SAID GENERATOR, A SPRAY DEVICE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID GENERATOR FOR DIRECTING A SPRAY OF WATER TO THE MATERIAL TO BE IRONED, SAID SPRAY DEVICE BEING SUFFICIENTLY RESTRICTED TO RETAIN SUFFICIENT PRESSURE IN SAID GENERATOR TO EFFECT ATOMIZATION OF THE WATER DISCHARGED THROUGH SAID SPRAY DEVICE. 